Carburetor



E. V. BEALS CARBURETOR Dec. 17, 1929.

,Filed April 10 1926 WITNESS-E5 Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES ERL V.-BEALS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS ,K CARBURETOR Application filed April when mixtures of such fuel and air are sup-- plied to enginesoperating under varying load conditions. j l

Theload conditions of engi-nes employed in automobiles, trucks, tractors and the like vary greatly, and 'angobject of this invention is to produce a device by means of which com.v bustible mixtures of such fuels may be ob-v 2Q tained for use in engines operating under varying as well as constant load conditions;

a device by means of which etiicient andslnokeless operation may be obtainedunder l all load conditions encountered. A

A A further object of this invention is to produce a device by meansof which liquid fuel such as kerosene, naptha, distillate or the like is so prepared that when mixed with the proper amountof air, a readily combustible' mixture is formed for use in internal combustion engines operating under widely yvaryf ing load conditions. f j

These7 as well as other objects which will be readily apparent to those skilled in this particular art, I attain by means of the device described in the specification and illus` trated inthe drawings accompanying and forming part ofthis application. j Y

In the drawings, the single view represents in vertical section a carburetor of standard form to which a" device embodying this invention is shown applied; the carburetor has been slightly modified to accommodate said device.

j The deviceA is capable of being applied to carburetors of various types, but for the sake ofillustration, but without any idea of limiting theinvention, the carburetor shown comprises a casing 1, having an air inlet port 2 V5c anda mixture outlet port 3, Valves i and 1926. Serial No. 101,152.

5 of the butterfly type are shown for respec-itively cont-rolling said inlet and outlet.v A Venturi choke tube 6 is shown locatedwithin `the air and mixture passages and a float chamber 7 having a constant level float 8 is 55 also shown. f

A tubular member 9 projects downwardly from the central portion of the carburetor casing and is surrounded by the float chamber which is attached thereto by means of a nut 10.

The tubular member at its lower end is provided with a stuffing box or gland 11 and the upper end `of said member is in open communication with the float chamber by means of a port 12. A head member 13 is threaded into the upperend of the tubular member` and at its center is provided with a valve seat 14. A needle valve 15 `is provided with a threaded stem 16 which projects up# 70 wardly through a threaded boss 1'7 formed in the top part of the carburetor.

A heater tube 18 which preferably has its interior surface coated with a vitreous enamel 19 is threaded into head member 13 and pro- 75 jects downwardly throughout substantially the entire length of tubular member 9. The bottom of the heater tube is in open commu- 'ni'cation withl the interior of tubular member 9 so that the interior of the heater tube, as well as the interior of tubular member 9, will at all times be filled with liquid fuel supplied from the constant level float chamber. The valve comprising valve seat 14 and needle 15 is located below the normal level of liquid within the float chamber so that the tendency will be to maintain a constant level of liquid within the depression 20 of head member 13. j

A heater element-21 which yconsists of a relatively thin nichrome wire extends axially of heater tube 18. The upper `end of the heater wire is secured within a spider 22 fixed within the `upper end ofthe heater tube. The lower end of the wire is secured within a cylindrical metal member 23 which is surrounded by and secured within an insulating bushing 24. The bushing 24 is provided with an enlarged shoulder 25 at its lower end and between this and the cap 26 of the stuffing 100 box, a coil spring 27 is interposed. A nut 28 threaded to the lower end of member 23 forms a stop for bushing 24 and one side of the source of current designated by 29 is connected to this nut 28. The other side of the source of current may connect to the body of the carburetor or as shown in the drawings to cap 26. When used on a motor vehicle, one side of the device will be grounded so that a single wire system can be employed as 1s now common.

Throttle valve 5 (valve t being a choke valve) by means of suitable levers 30 and 31 and link 32 is connected to the stem of needle valve 15 in such manner that as the throttle is opened and closed the needle valve will be turned in or out more or less, whereby the effective area of the top opening of heater tube 18 is controlled in accordance vwith the position of the throttle valve. A knob .34 is provided in order that normal setting of the needle valve may bemade. 35- is a clamping bolt for clamping the lever 31 in position on the valve stem after thenormal valve setting has been obtained.

The liquid fuel from the float chamber passes through port 12 down around the outside o-f the heater tube and up within the tube in contact with lthe nichrome wire 21 `which `will be maintained at a temperature corresponding `to cherry red. By the time the fuel reaches the top ofthe heater tube, it becomes gassified and passes up through the Venturi choke tube, and is mixed with air to form a combustible mixture.

It will be understood that the vtube 9 and also the downwardly-flowing fuel surrounding 'the tube 18 form virtually a heat insulator for the `gasifying-tube 19, thus enabling me to maintain the interior of the chamber 19 at gasifying temperature without employing an impractically large wire and current. The downwardly-flowing cylinder of fuel is particularly eicacious because it is constantly moving and also because the heat that necessarily escapes from the tube 19 is utilized to preheat the fuel before it enters the gasifying-chamber. It will be understood that the area of the tube 19 must have such relationship to the degree of heat suppliedto the fuel by the hot wire that a temperature shall bemaintained in the tube 19 sufficient to continuously tend to gasify the fuel as it passes up into the tube 19. It will be understood also that the needle-valve shall be so adjusted that a toofree escape of fuel shall not be permitted, since it is important that the outletting of the fuel shall be sufficiently retarded to tend to accumulate some gas in the tube 19 to thus maintain a pressure in the upper end thereof, the pressure tending to hold back the liquid :fuel ata distance from the outlet. By thus continuously maintaining the fuel under pressure in the upper end of the gasifyingchamber, it will be seen that the deliveryT of the fuel to the mixing-chamber is not de-4 pendent entirely upon suction, since the pressure tends to jet the fuel into the mixing` chamber. The result is that when the very hot liquid is jetted into the air-stream, it instantly flashes into a gas, an ideal condition for mixing with the air and for bringing about the other desirable results herein mentioned. It will be understood that gas is not actually generated in the tube 19 during the running of the engine, as the engine takes suflicient fuel to prevent this; gas, however, will always tend to generate in this tube and will actually accumulate should the engine be stalled.

Under operating conditions, the nichrome wire varies in length, elongating when hot and contracting when cool. The coil spring 27 maintains the wire taut under all conditions.

It has been found in practice that starting of the motor is facilitated vif some type of primer for injecting one or two charges of gasoline into the intake manifold opposite the inlet ports is used. This lightens the burden on the starter with which the engine is equipped and allows the engine to get under way quickly.

It has been found that the gasifier is so effective that it is not necessary to warm up the engine before using the heavy not readily vaporizable liquid fuel such as distillate. The gasier provides a mixture which is completely consumed and which has been found to leave no carbon deposits even when the engine is operating under widely varying loads.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an apparatus for forming combustible charges for internal-combustion engines, the combination of a fuel-chamber, a casingtube opening thereinto and depending therefrom and closed at its lower end, a gasifyingtube suspended at its upper end centrally in said casing-tube and spaced away therefrom to form an annular down-passage for fuel, said gasifying-tube being open at its lower end to the fuel and also open at its upper end, valve means for controlling theemission of fuel at the upper end of this gasifying-tube, and an electric heating element mounted within the gasifying-tube.

2. In an apparatus for forming com` bustible charges for internal-combustion engines, the' combination of a fuel-chamber, a casing-tube depending therethrough and closed at its lower end and having a fuel-port communicating with the fuel-chamber, a gasifying-tube suspended within said casing-tube and spaced away therefrom to form an annular chamber between the two tubes, the suspending means being a plug screwed into the upper end of said casing-tube, said gasifying-tube being provided with a fuelinlet at a point below its upper end and also with a fuel-outlet at its upper end in said screw plug, a valve controlling this fuel-outlet, and electrical means including a heatin -element mounted within said gasifying tu e.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of April,

ERL V. BEALS. 

